The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) announced that over 160,000 children were vaccinated on the first day of the polio vaccination campaign in southern Gaza.
Thousands of Palestinian families visited health facilities to receive vaccines from UNRWA’s medical teams in the region.
According to a statement from UNRWA, more than 160,000 children were reached on the first day of the campaign in southern Gaza.
Since September 1st, UNRWA and its partners have successfully vaccinated nearly 355,000 children against polio across central and southern Gaza, as part of a broader effort to curb the resurgence of the disease.
Juliette Touma, UNRWA’s Director of Communications, highlighted the challenges posed by the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
She explained that the war has created conditions favorable for the return of polio, a highly contagious virus that poses a significant risk to unvaccinated children.
The vaccination campaign faced obstacles when the Palestinian Ministry of Health revealed that Israel had denied entry for medical teams to administer the polio vaccine in parts of Khan Younis, an area in southern Gaza included in the second phase of the campaign.
This decision hampered efforts to reach all targeted children in the region.
In a statement, Inas Hamdan, a spokesperson for UNRWA in Gaza, praised the support provided by the United Arab Emirates (UAE), noting that the UAE has been one of the main contributors to the agency’s humanitarian work in the region.
The UAE was among the first countries to respond to the health crisis, offering financial and logistical aid to ensure the success of the polio vaccination drive.
Hamdan emphasized that the UAE’s contributions, including the provision of vaccines and essential medical equipment, played a crucial role in allowing UNRWA, the World Health Organization (WHO), and UNICEF to launch the campaign on time.
She noted that the campaign comes at a critical juncture, as Gaza’s healthcare system continues to grapple with the strain of the ongoing war.
The re-emergence of polio in the region, amid the collapse of the healthcare infrastructure and shortages of medical supplies, poses a significant threat to children’s health.
Despite the dire situation, Hamdan expressed hope, stating that the polio vaccination campaign represents a glimmer of optimism in an otherwise bleak environment for Gaza’s children.
Meanwhile, the United Nations has issued warnings about the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza. UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric described the situation as “beyond catastrophic,” noting that more than a million people in Gaza had not received food rations through humanitarian channels in central and southern regions during August.
Despite the many challenges, Dujarric assured that the UN and other humanitarian organizations are doing everything possible to provide life-saving aid to Palestinians. Between August 19th and the end of the month, approximately 450,000 cooked meals were distributed daily across 130 kitchens to families in need.
Dujarric stressed the gravity of the situation, warning that the humanitarian crisis in Gaza is severe and that the resources needed to meet the population’s growing needs are still lacking.
The ongoing conflict has exacerbated the situation, with repeated evacuation orders from Israeli forces forcing 70 kitchens to either suspend their services or relocate to new areas, further complicating the efforts to provide essential food and aid to the affected population.
